Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Championship clash between Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Two sides fighting at opposite ends of the Championship table will square off at Hillsborough on Saturday, as Sheffield Wednesday welcome Middlesbrough.
The hosts dropped to the foot of the table following a second straight defeat at the weekend, while their visitors stayed in the top two with a return to winning ways.
Match preview
Sheffield Wednesday return to action at Hillsborough on Wednesday aiming to climb off the bottom of the Championship table, having endured a tough campaign thus far.
The Owls always looked set for a difficult season following a summer of widespread departures and ongoing off-field and financial issues, having earned just six points from their first 10 outings under the new management of Henrik Pedersen.
Facing an uphill battle with a thin and young squad restricted by embargoes, their struggles have come at the back, with the 22 goals they have conceded being four more than any other side in England’s second tier after 10 outings.
Their only victory thus far came away at Portsmouth in September, and after heading into the October international break on the back of a pair of draws and a 5-0 beating to Coventry City, they returned with a trip to Charlton Athletic on Saturday and left empty-handed, having fallen 2-0 down to Sonny Carey and Reece Burke goals and failed to find a leveller after Jamal Lowe halved the deficit.
Having now dropped to the foot of the division, but remaining within touching distance of 22nd spot, Sheffield Wednesday will aim to pull off an upset and return to winning ways on Tuesday to avoid being cut adrift in the coming weeks.
They face a tough test, though, as the visitors arrive in search of back-to-back victories with top spot in the Championship in their sights.
After finishing 10th in England’s second tier last time around and turning to new manager Rob Edwards over the summer, Middlesbrough have enjoyed a strong start, currently sitting second having earned 21 points from their first 10 outings.
That began with five victories and a draw, before seeing their momentum halted slightly with consecutive draws against Southampton and Stoke City and a first league defeat of the season away at Portsmouth before the break.
Then returning to action at the weekend in second spot and just one point behind new leaders Coventry City, Edwards’s side hosted fellow promotion-chasers Ipswich Town on Friday and took all three points, winning 2-1 having led by two through a Cedric Kipre own goal and a Morgan Whittaker finish and stood strong after Dara O’Shea halved the lead 14 minutes from time.
Still sitting second after 10 outings, one point behind Coventry and having built up a three-point lead over Stoke City, Middlesbrough will bid to extend another winning run on Wednesday to strengthen their standing in the automatic promotion spots.
Sheffield Wednesday Championship form:
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Sheffield Wednesday form (all competitions):
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Middlesbrough Championship form:
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Team News
Sheffield Wednesday remain badly hit by injuries heading into Wednesday’s contest, with Pedersen’s already thin squad still without Pierce Charles, Di’Shon Bernard, Nathaniel Chalobah, Ernie Weaver and Olaf Kobacki.
Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who was himself brought in as an emergency loan following Charles’s injury, will miss out after being sent off in the weekend’s defeat, leaving Logan Stretch to deputise between the sticks unless the Owls can arrange another emergency loan in time.
Their concerns on the injury front worsened at The Valley too, with Dominic Iorfa forced off in the first half of Saturday’s loss, and if he is unable to make a return, Max Lowe will likely join Gabriel Otegbayo and Liam Palmer in a makeshift back three.
Rob Edwards may opt to field an unchanged Middlesbrough starting XI from Friday’s win over Ipswich Town, with defenders Darragh Lenihan and George Edmundson remaining sidelined by injuries.
They switched to a back four for that contest, and Alfie Jones and Dael Fry should again partner up in the middle of the defence, while Alan Browne will hope to keep his place alongside talisman Hayden Hackney despite competition from Aidan Morris, who was only able to feature off the bench after international duty with the USA.
Elsewhere, Morgan Whittaker will line up on the right wing with renewed confidence, having opened his Boro account last time out, while Tommy Conway, David Strelec and Delano Burgzorg will hope to fight off competition from Kaly Sene, Sontje Hansen and Sverre Nypan and stay in the attack.
Sheffield Wednesday possible starting lineup:
Stretch; Palmer, Otegbayo, M Lowe; Valery, Bannan, Ingelsson, Fusire, Amass; J Lowe, Cadamarteri
Middlesbrough possible starting lineup:
Brynn; Brittain, Jones, Fry, Targett; Browne, Hackney; Whittaker, Conway, Burgzorg; Strelec
We say: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Middlesbrough
With injuries piling up and leaving them almost unable to field a starting XI of senior first-team players, we can only envisage things getting tougher for Sheffield Wednesday as the odds stack up against them.
Taking on a Middlesbrough side full of confidence under Rob Edwards and with plenty of quality all over the pitch, we see a routine away victory as the most likely outcome at Hillsborough on Wednesday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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